What were the circumstances in the Occupied Territory that compelled the policies implemented by the occupying power there? How was policy shaped to address these circumstances?
Circumstances of German Invasion: Hitler invaded and occupied Norway (in 1940) for mainly two reasons. First, he wanted control of Norway’s extensive coastline; this would help him to control the North Sea and ease the passage of German warships and U-boats into the Atlantic to impede Allied shipping. Second, control of Norway would also help aid in Germany’s ability to import iron ore from Sweden, which was necessary for Germany’s war effort. Britain’s interest in Norway and the ‘Altmark’ incident would eventually set Germany’s plans into action.
At the time of the German invasion, Norway had a small population of 3 million people--most of the population was centered in a few major cities. The rest of the country was sparsely populated and for an army that had just defeated Poland, the idea of invading Norway didn’t seem to worry Germany. Germany’s plan of attack was to secure the major cities and then spread out until all German forces could eventually meet. The element of surprise was essential to reduce the threat of Norwegian resistance and British intervention.
Part of Operation Weserübung: -“Oslo, the capital, was to be attacked from both sea and air.” -“Sola, a major air base near Stavanger in the south, was to be attacked by an air landing while the nearby city was to be attack by parachutists.” -“Narvik, Trondheim and Bergen were to be attacked from the sea with troops being landed by warships.”
http://www.naval-history.net/WW2RN04-194004.htm As you can see on this map, all of these cities were on Norway’s western coast. This is exactly where Germany needed the major cities to be.
The hope was that the Norwegians would become overwhelmed at the sight of the Germans and quickly surrender (German troops were ordered to only fire if fired at).
"The Invasion of Norway 1940." The Invasion of Norway 1940. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
Circumstances during German Occupation: It only took a few days for Germany to gain control over Norway. The Norwegian King and government fled to London, to continue their campaign of resistance in exile. After this, there wasn’t much military resistance in Norway.
A government had to be put in place by Germany, so a pro-German puppet government was instituted (not democratically elected). The police were also under Nazi control.
Because of the German Occupation, Norway lost all of its trading partners. Although Germany became their main trading partner, the lost export and import business could not be made up. Norway was confronted with a scarcity in basic commodities, leading to the rationing of food and other basic supplies.
Resistance from the Norwegian people, however, was quite strong. Centers of political resistance were well established by 1940. Many Norwegians carried out illegal activities during the Occupation: spreading uncensored information (newspapers and leaflets) and helping people flee from the Nazis to other countries (mainly Sweden and the UK). There were also protests and rallies aimed at establishing a new political structure. Because of this many people were arrested and sent to prison camps. The Germans also attempted to stifle resistance by outlawing many acts of civil disobedience, such as wearing symbols of resistance (paper clips, red garments, and bobble hats) and outlawing the act of standing in a bus when seats were available, because many Norwegians refused to sit next to German soldiers. The most violent retributions came when Norwegians attempted acts of armed resistance: http://shetlandbus.com/pages/telavag.htm
What were the effects of the occupation of your territory on the occupying power's war effort? This should include basic data such as numbers of troops diverted to the occupation and so forth, but should also take into account less logistical factors such as the psychological effect of occupation on the occupying power, issues of morale, attitudes of occupation forces toward the local population (and vice versa) and the degree to which that sharpened or dulled the occupiers' resolve, etc.
Logistics: The Germans continued their use of Blitzkrieg warfare in their attack on Norway, by sea and air with Operation Weserübung. Their confidence in a successful invasion led them to only send 10,000 men in their first wave of attack. The official German casualties for the Norwegian Campaign totalled 5,296.
1,317 were killed on land
2,375 were lost at sea
1,604 were listed as wounded
“German casualties at sea were particularly heavy, with the sinking of one of the Kriegsmarine's two heavy cruisers, two of its six light cruisers, 10 of its 20 destroyers and six U-boats. With several more ships severely damaged, the German surface fleet had only three cruisers and four destroyers operational in the aftermath of the Norwegian Campaign. Two torpedo boats and 15 light naval units were also lost during the campaign. Two German battleships and two cruisers were damaged during the campaign. Official German sources give the number of German aircraft lost during the Norwegian Campaign as 90, with other estimates by historian François Kersaudy ranging as high as 240. In transport ships and merchant vessels, the Germans lost 21 ships at 111,700 tons, around 10% of what they had available at the time.” Clodfelter, Michael. Warfare and Armed Conflicts- A Statistical Reference to Casualty and Other Figures, 1500-2000 2nEd. 2002
Effects of Occupation: The Norwegian Campaign accounted for only a small fraction of German losses during the totality of WWII, as it was not a top priority. During the Occupation, there was 1 German soldier for every 8 Norwegian citizens. Norwegians were used to seeing soldiers everywhere. Refer to previous paragraph on resistance for Norwegian attitudes towards German soldiers and German’s increased resolve for violence against the Norwegian populace.
What were the motivations/methods/outcomes of resistance and collaboration? How did this affect the Occupied Territory after the war? Use case studies to illustrate.
Resistance: Refer to above paragraph on resistance. Case Study: One of the worst acts of reprisal for Norwegian resistance by the Germans was the assault on the Fishing Village of of Televag. In the spring of 1942, two Gestapo officers were shot by two men from the Kompani Linge (specially trained in Scotland for missions to occupied Norway). In retaliation, every single man in the village was sent to a concentration camp, the women and children were interned, and the village was completely leveled. Effect on Norway:
The adversity and hardship faced by Norway led to the abandonment of their traditional policy of neutrality, formalized when Norway became a founding member of NATO in 1949. It also led to “a broad political and popular commitment to maintain armed forces large enough to realistically defend the country against any likely threat, as well as to keep those armed forces under firm civilian control” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_occupation_of_Norway#Social_and_cultural_transformation).
Collaboration: Although the occupation was largely opposed, there was some acceptance and even collaboration with the Germans, mostly fostered by Vidkun Quisling, from the Nasjonal Samling (a pro-Nazi party). He encouraged Norwegians to serve as volunteers in the Waffen-SS. 15,000 Norwegians volunteered for combat duty on the Nazi side and of the 6,000 sent into action, most of them served in the Eastern front. Case Study: The most famous Nazi supporter was Henry Oliver Rinnan, the leader of the Sonderabteilung Lola (a group of informants who infiltrated the Norwegian resistance and captured and murdered many of its members). The Rinnan gang is responsible for the deaths of at least 100 people from the Norwegian resistance, for torturing hundreds of prisoners, for compromising several hundred resistance groups, and for luring people to undertake missions for the Germans. After two trials, 41 members of the Rinnan group were convicted and sentenced with death, lifelong imprisonment, or hard labor. Rinnan was sentenced to death by firing squad for personally murdering 13 people. Effect on Norway: After the War, Norway was left to deal with Norwegian Nazi collaborators and traitors. Some people favored a "night of long knives" with extrajudicial killings of known offenders. However, a great effort was put into ensuring due process trials of accused traitors. “In the end, 37 people were executed by Norwegian authorities, 25 Norwegians on the grounds of treason, and 12 Germans on the grounds of crimes against humanity. 28,750 people were arrested, though most were released for lack of probable cause. 20,000 Norwegians and a smaller number of Germans were given prison sentences. Seventy-seven Norwegians and 18 Germans received life sentences. A number of people were sentenced to pay heavy fines” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_occupation_of_Norway#Treason_trials).
What were the effects of occupation on women & youth in the Occupied Territory? Use case studies to illustrate.
Women: Women in Norway were traditionally responsible for “managing everyday life under the difficult conditions of material shortages in wartime.” During the occupation, they took on new responsibilities. For instance, it was mostly women who produced signs of resistance, such as the red garments mentioned before. Under the policy of Nazification, the totalitarian grip of the occupier focused on political organizations, culture, and media, or traditionally masculine spheres of power within society. Decisions about everyday behavior (relating to politics, culture, and media) were no longer private, they were now public statements made by both men and women. These were things as small as deciding whether or not to go to a sporting event. Case Study: One of the most influential ways the German occupation affected Norwegian women was in regards to shortages of food and other goods that the occupiers needed for warfare. It was traditionally the woman's role to produce substitutes for missing items. During the occupation,.they developed strategies and tricks that were not quite legal. For instance, black markets flourished. Cook, Bernard A. Women and War: A Historical Encyclopedia from Antiquity to the Present. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2006. Print.
Children:
Children also gained new and greater responsibilities in the home, helping their parents who struggled to make ends meet.
The occupation also affected children’s schooling. Case Study: Quisling attempted to transform the education system, so that fascist values could be instilled in Norwegians form the very beginning (Cooperative State). He created a new Norwegian Teacher’s Union that required all teachers to join by Feb. 5, 1942. 8,000 to 10,000 of Norway’s 12,000 teachers refused to participate (they copied a short statement of refusal sent to them from an underground resistance group in Oslo). He ordered that all schools be closed for a month, but teachers continued to teach their classes in private.
"Norwegian Teachers Resist Nazi Takeover of Education, 1942." Global Nonviolent Action Database. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
What were the circumstances in the Occupied Territory that compelled the policies implemented by the occupying power there? How was policy shaped to address these circumstances?
Circumstances of German Invasion:
Hitler invaded and occupied Norway (in 1940) for mainly two reasons. First, he wanted control of Norway’s extensive coastline; this would help him to control the North Sea and ease the passage of German warships and U-boats into the Atlantic to impede Allied shipping. Second, control of Norway would also help aid in Germany’s ability to import iron ore from Sweden, which was necessary for Germany’s war effort. Britain’s interest in Norway and the ‘Altmark’ incident would eventually set Germany’s plans into action.
At the time of the German invasion, Norway had a small population of 3 million people--most of the population was centered in a few major cities. The rest of the country was sparsely populated and for an army that had just defeated Poland, the idea of invading Norway didn’t seem to worry Germany. Germany’s plan of attack was to secure the major cities and then spread out until all German forces could eventually meet. The element of surprise was essential to reduce the threat of Norwegian resistance and British intervention.
Part of Operation Weserübung:
-“Oslo, the capital, was to be attacked from both sea and air.”
-“Sola, a major air base near Stavanger in the south, was to be attacked by an air landing while the nearby city was to be attack by parachutists.”
-“Narvik, Trondheim and Bergen were to be attacked from the sea with troops being landed by warships.”
http://www.naval-history.net/WW2RN04-194004.htm
As you can see on this map, all of these cities were on Norway’s western coast. This is exactly where Germany needed the major cities to be.
The hope was that the Norwegians would become overwhelmed at the sight of the Germans and quickly surrender (German troops were ordered to only fire if fired at).
"The Invasion of Norway 1940." The Invasion of Norway 1940. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
Circumstances during German Occupation:
It only took a few days for Germany to gain control over Norway. The Norwegian King and government fled to London, to continue their campaign of resistance in exile. After this, there wasn’t much military resistance in Norway.
A government had to be put in place by Germany, so a pro-German puppet government was instituted (not democratically elected). The police were also under Nazi control.
Because of the German Occupation, Norway lost all of its trading partners. Although Germany became their main trading partner, the lost export and import business could not be made up. Norway was confronted with a scarcity in basic commodities, leading to the rationing of food and other basic supplies.
Resistance from the Norwegian people, however, was quite strong. Centers of political resistance were well established by 1940. Many Norwegians carried out illegal activities during the Occupation: spreading uncensored information (newspapers and leaflets) and helping people flee from the Nazis to other countries (mainly Sweden and the UK). There were also protests and rallies aimed at establishing a new political structure. Because of this many people were arrested and sent to prison camps. The Germans also attempted to stifle resistance by outlawing many acts of civil disobedience, such as wearing symbols of resistance (paper clips, red garments, and bobble hats) and outlawing the act of standing in a bus when seats were available, because many Norwegians refused to sit next to German soldiers.
The most violent retributions came when Norwegians attempted acts of armed resistance: http://shetlandbus.com/pages/telavag.htm
__http://introengelsk.cappelendamm.no/c35009/artikkel/vis.html?tid=35431__
__http://diemperdidi.info/nordicnotes/vol04/reviews/steinert.html__
What were the effects of the occupation of your territory on the occupying power's war effort? This should include basic data such as numbers of troops diverted to the occupation and so forth, but should also take into account less logistical factors such as the psychological effect of occupation on the occupying power, issues of morale, attitudes of occupation forces toward the local population (and vice versa) and the degree to which that sharpened or dulled the occupiers' resolve, etc.
Logistics:
The Germans continued their use of Blitzkrieg warfare in their attack on Norway, by sea and air with Operation Weserübung. Their confidence in a successful invasion led them to only send 10,000 men in their first wave of attack.
The official German casualties for the Norwegian Campaign totalled 5,296.
“German casualties at sea were particularly heavy, with the sinking of one of the Kriegsmarine's two heavy cruisers, two of its six light cruisers, 10 of its 20 destroyers and six U-boats. With several more ships severely damaged, the German surface fleet had only three cruisers and four destroyers operational in the aftermath of the Norwegian Campaign. Two torpedo boats and 15 light naval units were also lost during the campaign. Two German battleships and two cruisers were damaged during the campaign. Official German sources give the number of German aircraft lost during the Norwegian Campaign as 90, with other estimates by historian François Kersaudy ranging as high as 240. In transport ships and merchant vessels, the Germans lost 21 ships at 111,700 tons, around 10% of what they had available at the time.”
Clodfelter, Michael. Warfare and Armed Conflicts- A Statistical Reference to Casualty and Other Figures, 1500-2000 2nEd. 2002
Effects of Occupation:
The Norwegian Campaign accounted for only a small fraction of German losses during the totality of WWII, as it was not a top priority.
During the Occupation, there was 1 German soldier for every 8 Norwegian citizens. Norwegians were used to seeing soldiers everywhere. Refer to previous paragraph on resistance for Norwegian attitudes towards German soldiers and German’s increased resolve for violence against the Norwegian populace.
Most German soldiers in Norway considered themselves to be lucky because the Norwegian occupation was better than the brutal combat of the Eastern front.
__http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2073616/Chilling-photos-Nazis-having-time-lives-Norway-Jew-massacre.html__
What were the motivations/methods/outcomes of resistance and collaboration? How did this affect the Occupied Territory after the war? Use case studies to illustrate.
Resistance:
Refer to above paragraph on resistance.
Case Study:
One of the worst acts of reprisal for Norwegian resistance by the Germans was the assault on the Fishing Village of of Televag. In the spring of 1942, two Gestapo officers were shot by two men from the Kompani Linge (specially trained in Scotland for missions to occupied Norway). In retaliation, every single man in the village was sent to a concentration camp, the women and children were interned, and the village was completely leveled.
Effect on Norway:
The adversity and hardship faced by Norway led to the abandonment of their traditional policy of neutrality, formalized when Norway became a founding member of NATO in 1949. It also led to “a broad political and popular commitment to maintain armed forces large enough to realistically defend the country against any likely threat, as well as to keep those armed forces under firm civilian control” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_occupation_of_Norway#Social_and_cultural_transformation).
Collaboration:
Although the occupation was largely opposed, there was some acceptance and even collaboration with the Germans, mostly fostered by Vidkun Quisling, from the Nasjonal Samling (a pro-Nazi party). He encouraged Norwegians to serve as volunteers in the Waffen-SS. 15,000 Norwegians volunteered for combat duty on the Nazi side and of the 6,000 sent into action, most of them served in the Eastern front.
Case Study:
The most famous Nazi supporter was Henry Oliver Rinnan, the leader of the Sonderabteilung Lola (a group of informants who infiltrated the Norwegian resistance and captured and murdered many of its members). The Rinnan gang is responsible for the deaths of at least 100 people from the Norwegian resistance, for torturing hundreds of prisoners, for compromising several hundred resistance groups, and for luring people to undertake missions for the Germans. After two trials, 41 members of the Rinnan group were convicted and sentenced with death, lifelong imprisonment, or hard labor. Rinnan was sentenced to death by firing squad for personally murdering 13 people.
Effect on Norway:
After the War, Norway was left to deal with Norwegian Nazi collaborators and traitors. Some people favored a "night of long knives" with extrajudicial killings of known offenders. However, a great effort was put into ensuring due process trials of accused traitors.
“In the end, 37 people were executed by Norwegian authorities, 25 Norwegians on the grounds of treason, and 12 Germans on the grounds of crimes against humanity. 28,750 people were arrested, though most were released for lack of probable cause. 20,000 Norwegians and a smaller number of Germans were given prison sentences. Seventy-seven Norwegians and 18 Germans received life sentences. A number of people were sentenced to pay heavy fines” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_occupation_of_Norway#Treason_trials).
What were the effects of occupation on women & youth in the Occupied Territory? Use case studies to illustrate.
Women:
Women in Norway were traditionally responsible for “managing everyday life under the difficult conditions of material shortages in wartime.” During the occupation, they took on new responsibilities. For instance, it was mostly women who produced signs of resistance, such as the red garments mentioned before. Under the policy of Nazification, the totalitarian grip of the occupier focused on political organizations, culture, and media, or traditionally masculine spheres of power within society. Decisions about everyday behavior (relating to politics, culture, and media) were no longer private, they were now public statements made by both men and women. These were things as small as deciding whether or not to go to a sporting event.
Case Study:
One of the most influential ways the German occupation affected Norwegian women was in regards to shortages of food and other goods that the occupiers needed for warfare. It was traditionally the woman's role to produce substitutes for missing items. During the occupation,.they developed strategies and tricks that were not quite legal. For instance, black markets flourished.
Cook, Bernard A. Women and War: A Historical Encyclopedia from Antiquity to the Present. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2006. Print.
Children:
Children also gained new and greater responsibilities in the home, helping their parents who struggled to make ends meet.
The occupation also affected children’s schooling.
Case Study:
Quisling attempted to transform the education system, so that fascist values could be instilled in Norwegians form the very beginning (Cooperative State). He created a new Norwegian Teacher’s Union that required all teachers to join by Feb. 5, 1942. 8,000 to 10,000 of Norway’s 12,000 teachers refused to participate (they copied a short statement of refusal sent to them from an underground resistance group in Oslo). He ordered that all schools be closed for a month, but teachers continued to teach their classes in private.
"Norwegian Teachers Resist Nazi Takeover of Education, 1942." Global Nonviolent Action Database. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.